Democrats target Susan Collins over congressional stock trading ban in new ad
The Democratic advocacy group Majority Forward has launched a $700,000 digital ad campaign targeting Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) for opposing a bipartisan bill that would ban members of Congress and their spouses from trading stocks.The ads criticize Collins for her stance against the proposed congressional stock trading ban introduced by Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), portraying her as out of touch with Maine and benefiting from insider trading. The campaign highlights that Collins’s husband owns stock in defense contractors, raising concerns about conflicts of interest given her role as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Collins is seeking reelection in 2026, facing competition within the Republican party, while Democrats consider potential candidates, including Governor Janet Mills. The ads emphasize the call for collins to stop profiting from stock trading and focus on serving her constituents.
Democrats target Susan Collins over congressional stock trading ban in new ad
The Democratic advocacy group Majority Forward is running two negative digital advertisements against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and her stance on congressional members trading stocks.
The $700,000 ad campaign, reported by Punchbowl, targets Collins for her opposition to Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-MO) bipartisan bill that proposes banning members of Congress and their spouses from holding, selling, or buying financial securities or commodities.
“Our representatives should be serving the people of Maine, not lining their own pockets. Tell Susan Collins: stop the congressional stock trading,” one of the Majority Forward advertisements says, showing a montage of champagne pouring and Collins in black-tie attire.
The other, shorter advertisement clip also portrays Collins as a Washington, D.C., insider, saying, “After 28 years living this life in Washington, you can lose touch with Maine. Susan Collins is trying to keep it so members of Congress can get rich on insider trading.”
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Collins’s husband, Thomas Daffron, owns stock in several defense contracting companies despite his spouse sitting as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Daffron holds tens of thousands of dollars in corporate securities stock in Department of Defense contractors Boeing and RTX Corporation, according to an Al Jazeera report. Collins told the Al Jazeera reporter she “did not understand” what she was saying in response to questions about Daffron’s holdings.
Maine will hold a general election for Collins’s seat once her term expires on Nov. 3, 2026. Collins is running for reelection, along with 10 other candidates. The primary dates have not been announced, but two other Republicans are running to challenge Collins, according to Ballotpedia.
Democrats eagerly await to see if Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) will enter the Senate race. Mills said she would possibly decide on her candidacy in November. Party leadership has been pushing her to jump in, given her strong standing in the state, but Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has already endorsed Graham Platner in the race.
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